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UX writing Basics

Dive into the fundamental principles of UX writing, where you'll learn how to create text that enhances user experience by being clear, concise, and user-friendly. This section lays the groundwork for all your UX writing endeavors.

Style​

  • Use as few words as possible

  • Use simple, specific, clear, and informative wording

  • Use the same words and grammatical forms, lengths, and styles repeatedly

Tone and voice​

  • Use natural, conversational language and not robotic, funny, cool or clever

  • Address users in second-person (you) and use first-person plural for the application (we)

  • Use gender-neutral language

  • Use polite language

  • Use 'please' and 'sorry' only when necessary, for something inconvenient or unplanned

  • Use positive instead of negative framing

  • Use positive contractions to avoid sounding too formal

  • Avoid using negative contractions as they can appear too informal

  • their, them, theirs, salesperson
  • Welcome to this application
  • X appears when detail view has selected events
  • cannot, will not
  • you’ll, we’ve
  • his, hers, him, salesman
  • Hey there!
  • X doesn’t appear if detail view has no selected events
  • can’t, won’t
  • you will, we have

Length​

  • Use sentences only when necessary

  • Use short words (3, 4, or 5 letters) instead of long words (8 or longer)

  • Use short, scannable segments, not paragraphs

  • Keep sentences under 25 words (average = 15 words)

  • Keep titles under 65 characters (including spaces)

  • Use info icons only when necessary: Icons cannot contain the same content as the UI

Use of big and small letters (capitalization/casing)​

  • Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a title / sentence / tooltip / menu item / list item / button

  • Capitalize proper nouns, i.e. places, organizations, tools, languages, products and things: Siemens, SIMATIC PCS myexpert, iOS, JavaScript, MindSphere

  • Capitalize named app functions and UI elements: Go to Settings, Allocate users in User management, Press OK

  • Go to Settings
  • Press OK
  • Log in
  • For more information, see Siemens Industry Online Support.
  • Go To Settings
  • Press OK
  • LOG IN
  • For more information, see Siemens industry online support.

Common UX wording mistakes​

  • time zone
  • log file
  • log in (as an action)
  • login (as a noun)
  • equipment
  • feedback
  • training
  • current
  • avoid "shall"
  • Siemens has
  • 34 million / 35 billion
  • 34 million
  • timezone
  • logfile
  • login
  • log in
  • equipments
  • feedbacks
  • trainings
  • actual
  • user shall manage users
  • Siemens have
  • 34’ / 35“
  • 34 millions